Color flasher



L. L. BECK COLOR FLASHER Oct. 6, 1931.

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Filed May 1 1925 Patented Oct. 6, 193i UNITED STATES PATENT ort-ICE LEO BECK, F LINDEN, NEWJEBSEY, ASSIGNOB T0 GLAUDE NEON 116m 1150;, 0l' NEW YORK, N. Y., L CORPORATION DI NEW YORK Application mea :ny 1, me. snm no. 105,908.

'This invention relates to vacuum tube lamps in which acolumn of more or less rareed s or mixture of gases or vapors is caused to g ow and radiate light by the passage of an'electric current therethrough, such as the y well-known neon lamps. In lamps of this type, as is well known, the passage of a small current through a column of neon at low pressure causes the neon to emit a beautiful l0 orange light of high intensity. The addition of other substances to the gas chan es the characteristics of the gas as is well own. For instance, the addition of a small amount of mercury to the gaseous ath causes the light produced to be bright lue, in striking contrast to the normal color of neon light, as

Ais well known in the art. Y

I have found that it is possible to combine .two lamps of the type described so as to produce a physically unitary lamp which maf' be iiashed intermittently in contrasting co ors, thereby producing a striking and novel eect of great value for advertising signs and the like. v

* It is an object of the invention to provide a physically unitary lamp which may be flashed in contrasting colors ofhigh illuminating intensity.

It is still a. further object of my invention I to provide a lamp containing a plurality of independent gaseous conducting paths having coincidental or partly coincidental axes, and lying one within theother, arranged to pro duce contrasting color eects.

It is still a further object of my invention to provide lamp which may be made to Vflash intermittently in contrasting colors by the use of an interrupter or circuit breaker, in only one of the lamp circuits.

It is still a further object of my invention to provide a lamphaving the characteristics described which shall be simple to build and rugged in construction.

Still other objects will be apparent from the specicaton.

The features of novelty which I believe to be characteristic of my invention are pointed out with particularity in the appended claims., My invention itself however, both as to its underlying principles and as to its practical embodlments, will best understood by reference to the specification and accompanying drawin in which the single .ligure is a'view partly, roken away 'and partly in section of a lamp illuminating system according to my mventlon.

I have found that the light radiated from a column of neon at low pressure has the peculiar characteristic of blanketing or shutting off the light radiated by a column of neon at low pressure having mercury therem. In other words, if a neon lamp having mercury therein and radiating a brilliant blue light be placed behind aneon lamp Without mercury and radiating the characteristic orange light, the blue light cannot be seen. have found that advantage of this peculiar fact may be taken, to produce a lamp which alternately ashes orange and blue. In ac- Y cordaznce with my invention I arrange a column of neon at low pressure with mercury therein, andsurr'ounding it, a column of neon at low pressure without mercury. The inner column of course radiates the well known blue light, the outer column, the well known orange light, but as previously pointed out, when the outer'ororangelight is being radiated, the inner blue light cannot be seen, nor is the color of the orange light modified in any way so 'far as I am able to observe by the blue light within.

In order to arrange forv an alternating flashing of orange and blue with this arrangement I keep the inner or blue column continuously illuminated whereas the outer or orange column is illuminated intermittently. The result is that during the moments wheny the outer column is illuminated the lamp glows with a brilliant orange light while during such intervals as the outer col- 90 umn isv deenergized, the lamp glows with a brilliant blue light.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, 1 indicates an envelope or containf er of transparent material such as glass which I may term the inner envelope. Electrodes 3 of any suitable type are vprovided for energizing the inner column and may for example be of the ty e shown provided with Strings of glass beads 4 strung on wire to prevent contactbetween the electrodes and the envelope and connected` to a source of potential through lead-in wires 5 passing through a press 6. The lead-in wires are connected to the secondary terminals of a transformer 12, the primary of' which is adapted to be connected to any source of supply. The envelope 1 as will be readily understood is evacuated and a quantity of neon at low pressure inserted therein together with a small amount of mercury after which the inner envelope is sealed. l v

A second or outer envelope 2 is also provided encircling the inner envelope 1 and connected thereto in a manner to provide an.

annular chamber between the walls of the envelopes l and 2. This chamber is suitably evacuated and supplied with the gas desired such as neon without mercury at the'proper pressure. Suitable electrodes 7 are provided for energizing this second column of gas such for example as the annular electrodes shown,

, and held spaced from the outer envelope .2

by strings of glass beads 8 strung on wire surrounding the electrodes 7 and held spaced from the inner envelope 1 by means of suita ble strings of glass beads Qstrung on wire positioned within the electrode 7. The electrodes are for example carried and supported also by lead-in wires 10 passing through a press 11 and are connected to the secondary terminals of a suitable transformer 13. For the purpose of causing intermittent dashing of the outer column, an interrupter 14 of any suitable type will be connected in series with the primary of transformer 13. In addition suitable switches not shown may be provided for turning on and oli' either or both columns as desired.

From what has alreadybeen said it will be understood that the inner column will be continuously energized during operation of the lamp and will radiate a typical blue color characteristic of neon and mercury. The outer column will be energized intermittently and during the periods of energization will glow with the orange color characteristic of neon and will completely mask the blue light from the interior column. 'While the outer column is deenergized the blue light will be visible. v

It is well known in the art that neon has practically zero thermal lag, lighting up and dying down practically simultaneously with the passage of current throughit and it will ting a light of high intensity and ofv strik.

ingly contrasting colors.

If it is desired to use an additional set of contacts on the interrupter, it is of course possible to arrange for the inner column to be energized only during the intervals when the outer is de-energized, in which' case the masking phenomenon is no longer utilized and the relative positions of the blue and orange columns may be reversed if desired.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention it will be understood that modifications and changes may be made as will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is 1. An illuminating system comprising a gaseous conducting path arranged to radlatev light of predetermined characteristics, a sccond Agaseous conducting path arranged to .radiate light of dili'erent characteristics, said paths being disposed at least partially one within the other, means for energizing the outer of said paths intermittently and means for energizing the inner of said pathssubstantially continuously.

2. An illuminating system comprising a gaseous conducting path arranged to radiate light of predetermined characteristics, a second gaseous path at least partially surroundl ing said first path and arranged to radiate .,light of characteristics which prevent the observance of light from said first path, means for energizing said firstpath substantially continuously, and means for energizv' ing said second vpath intermittently.

3. An illuminating system comprising a gaseous conducting path containing neon at low pressure' and mercury, a second gaseous path at least partially surrounding said first paths and containing neon at low pressure, means for energizing said rst path substantially continuously, and means for energizing said second path intermittently. 4

4. A method of producing flashing contrasting colors Witha pair of aseous conducting paths disposed on'e within the other, which 'comprises energizing the outer path intermittently, and energizing the inner path Lacasse both of said p'aths containing neon and the of W frequency for illuminating the gas in cach'tube including means for interrupting the illumination of the said iirst tube.

8. An illuminating device comprising` a luminescent tube containing electrodes in direct contact with a rare gas, a second tube likewise provided and also containing mercury and at least partly enclosed by the 'first tube, electrical discharge means of low frequency for illuminating the gas in each tube including means for interrupting the illumination of the said first tube. i

9. An illuminating device comprising a luminescent tube containing electrodes in direct Contact with neon, a second tube provided With electrodes inlike manner'and containing neon and mercury and at least partly enclosed by the first tube. electrical discharge means of low frequency for illuminating the gas in each tube including means for interrupting the illumination o the said first tube.

10. An illuminating device comprising a luminescent tube containing electrodes-in direct contact with a rare gas, a secondtube likewise provided and at least partly enclosed by the first tube, electrical discharge means of low lfrequency for illuminating the gas in each tube including means for interrupting the illumination of the said first tube,

adapted upon illumination to mask light enitted by the illuminated gas in the second tu e.

11. An illuminating device comprising a luminescent tube containing electrodes in direct contact with a rare gas, a second tube likewise provided and at least partly enclosed by the first tube. means for interrupting the illumination of the said first tube, each tube being adapted to be illuminated by low frequency electrical discharge.

12. The method of producing fiashing contrasting colors which comprises discharging lelectric current through a column of rare gas substantially continuously and through a second column of gas intermittently, the second column having the property of maskelectric current substantially continuously through a column of rare gascontaining mercury and throughl a column of neon inter mittently, the neon column having the property of masking the light from the mercury column and being so disposed with respect to the mercury column that the light of the mercury column is masked during the periods of operation of the neon column.

' In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of April, 1926.

LEO L. BECK.

the rare gas in said first tube being ing the light of the 'first column and being so disposed with respect to the first column that the light of the first column is masked during the periods of operation of the second column.

13. The method of producing flashing contrasting colors which comprises discharging 

